The major Airport in Madrid, Spain, is the Madrid Airport, commonly known as Barajas, and is the major gateway to the City of Madrid. This international airport is the busiest and largest in the country and was ranked the eleventh busiest globally and fourth in Europe in 2008.

Madrid Airport Barajas opened its services in 1928, growing up to become a major crucial European aviation center that is now so important. Its location is in Madrid’s city limits, 5.6 miles from the financial district and around 8.1 miles on the northeastern part from the historical center of Madrid, the Puerta Del Sol. The airport derives its name from Barajas, an adjacent district, and is served by its own rail line and metro station.

The first construction of the airport was in 1927 and full-fledged international and national air traffic commenced on the 22nd of April in 1931with constant commercial operations commencing about two years later.

The international flights that really opened the airport commenced within the 30s with the airport serving major African and European destinations.

The original flight field of the earlier Barajas was made up of a huge unpaved circle of land aptly full of natural grass with the title ‘Madrid’ in a white hue on the inside. However, it was in the 1940s that the Barajas flight field received a facelift with new runaways and paving being designed.

Madrid Airport’s first runaway in 1944 was about 1400 meters in length while the width was about 45 meters.

Currently, Madrid Airport serves as the major gateway to the crucial Iberian Peninsula from not only the rest of the European countries but also the world at large and is the main important link between Latin America and Europe. It is a primary hub for Iberia and its main maintenance base, with the airline being responsible for about 60% of all Madrid Airport’s traffic. Passengers totaling to around 50 million use the airport every year.